⚖️ Landmark Case: Aruna Shanbaug v. Union of India (2011)
(Passive Euthanasia Case)
📝 Summary:
This case allowed passive euthanasia in India for the first time, recognizing the right to die with dignity under Article 21.
📚 Background
Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse at Mumbai’s KEM Hospital, was in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) for 42 years after a brutal assault in 1973. A journalist and friend, Pinki Virani, filed a petition seeking permission for Aruna to be allowed to die with dignity.
The case raised a deeply emotional and legal question: Is the right to die part of the right to life?
🧑⚖️ Supreme Court Verdict
The Court rejected active euthanasia (directly ending life), but allowed passive euthanasia, where life support could be withdrawn under strict conditions.
Key rulings:
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Right to die with dignity is part of Article 21
While suicide is not legal, withdrawing life support in hopeless cases respects human dignity. -
Court approval is necessary
Passive euthanasia must be approved by the High Court after medical and ethical scrutiny. -
Set the stage for future laws
Led to the Living Will concept and eventually the 2018 judgment that fully legalized passive euthanasia.
🧠 Significance
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Introduced death with dignity as a legal right.
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Balanced ethical concerns with compassion.
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Influenced medical and legal policies on end-of-life care.
🧩 Conclusion
The Aruna Shanbaug case was a landmark in bioethics and constitutional law, showing how the judiciary can respond sensitively to evolving medical realities and human dignity.